"a fusion of bread pudding, grilled cheese, and souffle'."

I haven't felt the urge to blog in weeks, but I have encountered a recipe too decadent and tempting not to share.


This past Christmas, Big Brother and Big Sister gave me a most amazing gift: The Essential New York Times Cookbook. Written by Amanda Hesser, author of the Grey Lady's beloved "Recipe Redux" column, It appeals to my many sensibilities.  For the historian, it is brimming with timelines and each chapter is chronologically organized.  For the writer, Hesser highlights changes in the ingredients, method, and fashion of American cuisine with engaging commentary and first-person anecdotes, such as my favorite quip, "With Humboldt Fog and Garratxa cheese now at our fingertips, it's hard to remember why we were all once so smitten with Brie." (285) For the foodie, there is a nice blend of recipes to challenge and conquer with those that magnify the importance of simplicity and quality (for Carmelized Bacon: "Go to a butcher and spend as much money as you have on very good bacon" (93)).  There are recipes from the finest American chefs, from the Times' adored minimalist Mark Bittman to the revered Alice Waters (with tons of vintage food columnists and notables in between).  And there is a delicious, but not overwhelming, bit of pretense.  This is not just a cookbook full of recipes; it is a cookbook to be read.


My family graciously tolerated my reading of the cookbook out loud.  One result of this exercise was my encounter with the recipe for Soupe A' L'Oignon Gratine'e (120).  Christmas was weeks ago, and indeed, I have been waiting, waiting, WAITING to get home for long enough to make this recipe.  After reading Hesser's commentary that it was "almost too strange and too delicious to describe: imagine a fusion of bread pudding, grilled cheese, and souffle'" I couldn't not make this dish.


The project consumed my afternoon-- at Hesser's recommendation that "it's worth tracking down Emmental cheese and a decent baguette" and to serve with red wine, I took to the Reading Terminal Market. I spent quite a while grating cheese and spilling tears over chopped onions.  I tempered the time commitment with cookies from Termini Brothers Bakery. I have no regrets.


Soupe A' L'Oignon Gratine'e
adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook


1 baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices (25-30) (I got mine at Le Bus, it was divine)
9 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
9 oz Emmental cheese, finely grated (I used 12 because it's who I am) (about 2 1/4 cups) (I got my French Emmental cheese from Downtown Cheese)
8 medium yellow onions, thinly slices (about 12 cups)
1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 cup tomato puree (I bought the fresh pack brand Cento from New Jersey- so yummy that it can be eaten with a spoon right out of the can) (not that I did that)
6 cups water 

1. Toast the baguette slices and let them cool. Spread a generous layer of butter on each slice (you will need about 5 tablespoons), then lay the slices close together on a baking sheet and top with all but 1/2 cup of the cheese.

2. Melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt to taste, and saute', stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Revolve from the heat. (don't be a spaz like me and add the tablespoon of salt in this step- oops. I have a notoriously high salt tolerance and it was almost a little much)

3. Arrange a layer of bread slices butter side up (about 1/3 of them) in a 5 quart casserole (I wish I had buttered our Le Creuset-ish pan first). Spread one-third of the onions on top, followed by one-third of the tomato puree. Repeat for 3 more layers. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. (To prevent boiling over, the casserole must not be more than two-thirds full) (I squished mine down a bit)

4. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add 1 tablespoon salt. Very slowly por the salted water into the casserole, near the edge, so that the liquid rises just to the top layer of cheese without covering it. (Depending on the size of your casserole, you may need more or less water) (I used around 4.5 cups and wished for a little more liquid when I ate it).


5. Put the casserole on the stove, bring to a simmer ON LOW HEAT  and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes (I for some reason kicked up the jam to medium-high heat and burned the bottom. Fortunately it didn't matter too much for me- I was lucky that the bread bottoms were very darkly carmelized but not smoky burnt when I realized my mistake). 


6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake uncovered for about 1 hour. 'The soup is ready when the surface looks like a crusty, golden cake, and the inside is unctuous and so well blended that it is impossible to discern either cheese or onions' (Ali-Bab). Serve each person some of the baked crust and some of the inside, which should de thick but not completley without liquid.

It's ugly but I promise it's totally good.


And don't forget to serve it with wine.

we wondered if martha came up with the recipe in prison.

I interrupt this blog's regularly scheduled programming of Heavy Stuff and Bike Concerns to talk to you about an issue of great importance, an issue that touches us all.


I am here to talk to you today about pancake recipes.


Every semester brings with it different cravings. There was the semester I lived on ice cream, and who can forget last fall, when all I ate was arugula? It occurred to me recently that this semester has been a pancake semester. Unknowingly, I've been trying to make the perfect pancake, and I think I've actually done it.


Effort 1- Sour Cream Pancakes
these are good, but they are mostly sour cream. I have nothing against eating straight sour cream, but you don't really need all the effort of pancakes to do that.


Effort 2- Traditional Pancakes
these are what you make when you have a very limited range of ingredients on hand. dense. much too dense. you don't eat these pancakes- they eat you. put some jam on it as you head out into the mean streets, so heavy it would double as a weapon.


Effort 3- Buttermilk Pancakes
these are IT. post-Thanksgiving we had a lot of leftover buttermilk (thank you, ranch mashed potatoes). lacey and light, they are so perfect and dreamy. comfort food to the max, best drenched in warm Pennsylvania maple syrup.

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming. Up next: further embracing of life's magic and mysteries, Wald rear basket installation, and probably a youtube video. Maybe in reverse order.

it's ok if you cook the sandwich in bacon grease.

I was inspired recently by this post on Big Girls, Small Kitchen about grilled cheese and mushroom melts. I have been playing around with variations on the theme this week. I brought in elements from a favorite salad at Prohibition Bar-- namely frisee, which goes lovely with mushrooms, and of course, bacon. This is a fall sandwich of no regrets. You're burning off extra calories just by staying warm, so I promise there's no harm.

Cook bacon.

Take come of your bacon grease and saute' mushrooms in it, with a bit of garlic.

Place sliced havarti on wheat bread, and pile all elements together. 

Cook sandwich in bacon grease.

Top sandwich with frisee.

Eat with fork and knife.

subletter salad.

My roommate went away to do research for the summer.  This has opened up a great culinary hole in my life, as there was nobody in my home doing interesting things with harissa or to share my delight in the creation of a stunning dessert tour de force.  His room was let to a sweet couple of visiting researchers.  They were the perfect room renters—gracious and tidy and quiet.  They really won me over when they shared this salad with me during a week that we had five days of 90 degree weather. As we have another week of that ahead, I think you'll find this salad it just the ticket.

I love it because you could serve it alone or over leafy greens, plain or dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette.  On more than one occasion, I've mixed it in with my standard caprese. This salad is fresh and light and even has a little bit of protein- completely perfect for days when it’s too hot for eating.

Subletter salad

Cucumber

Canned butter beans

Artichoke hearts

Corn (best cut off the cobb)

Red bell pepper

Craisins

crack and cheese.

A while ago, things got pretty rough.  I decided what my friends and I needed was some good ole comfort food.

I did my homework and found that the recipe of recipes is

Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese.

It made us all feel better.  

Word got around that this mac and cheese is to die for, and unsurprisingly, it was requested for a barbeque tomorrow.  Do you think I had to be asked twice?  

Since I was making in advance (there is potato salad to make, after all), I skimmed a little off the top and baked a single portion in a ramekin.  You see that little lacy bit of dribbled cheese on the side? Heaven on earth.

bright spots stockpile, part 3. easter edition.

Happy Easter! Right now my Easter observance consists of watching a neighbor eat Cheetos on her porch, and wearing a pink Easter dress while reading The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics. I hope that your Easter is similarly stimulating.  

---

And let's be real about the biggest bright spot of all today-- for me, the day's message of Resurrection, regeneration, and everlasting life is particularly comforting right now.  I also liked the message from our seder last night-- Dayenu.  It was a relief to find that the call to God that "It would have been enough" was inscribed on the hearts and history of an entire people. Dayenu. Dayenu.  We can be hopeful but still be at the threshold for what we can bear.

---

Big Brother sent this link my way. It's perfect because Easter candy is conspicuously absent from our house today.  I'm not sure who was responsible for that oversight, but an excursion to CVS feels imminent.

Because Cadbury Creme Eggs Benedict has left a big hole in my heart.

And Postsecret, not to be outdone, made that hole bigger with a link to Peep Sushi.

vodka vs. vinegar: pie crust battle a draw.

Last night when we were cutting into a the chocolate pudding pie I made, my roommate admitted he is solidly "Team Pie." Now I had always considered myself very much "Team Cake" but... I said, in complete seriousness, "Pie is a more satisfying creative outlet for me at this point in my life."  (aren't you glad I'm not saying that about, oh, liquor? heroin?)  It's cheesy but true.  Conquering pie crust and the limitless number of possible fillings is starting to look like a mildly consuming spring semester project that nobody will complain about supporting, ever.


Last night I made The Pioneer Woman's Pie Crust and Smitten Kitchen's Chocolate Pudding Pie.  PW's pie crust has a lot going for it: shortening and white vinegar are MUCH cheaper than butter and vodka.  The outcome was basically as good as she talked it up to be-- this is the flaky-ist crust I have ever made.  It just kind of dissolves in your mouth with its amazing texture.  For a pudding pie, that really works and honestly, I cannot stop eating this pie.  Seriously, get on it!  You need some homemade pudding in your life.  But anyways, the crust.  I was rushing it a bit and it still came out really flaky and amazing, so that's a win.  It also comes out of the pan with zero fight.  I have no recollection of ever having that experience with a crust I've made.

The problem with the vinegar/shortening pie crust recipe is that it has very little flavor.  For a fruit pie, I think I would definitely like something more buttery.  I think I may have to bite the bullet and make an all-butter crust in spite of the love I feel for the Cook's Illustrated vodka/shortening/butter version.  I thought this would be an either/or contest, but now I'm feeling like different pie crust recipes might suit different moods and I'm ok with that.  

now we're cooking with vodka.

I know it's time to blog when I feel the temptation to start blowing up my Twitter feed with statements like "This pie crust is a revelation, why have I never tried this recipe?" and "Every bite of this pie crust convinces me that I'm a good person, and also, a genius," and of course, "Why don't I make apple pie more often so I can have apple pie for breakfast more often?"  


That's where I'm at right now.


I hadn't been too happy with the outcome of my last pie crust-- everybody said it was good, but I was aware-- perhaps there's some latent Mormonness at work here-- that it wasn't living up to its eternal potential.  So since everybody always talks about the vodka pie crust recipe, and I actually had vodka in my freezer for once (it was fun while it lasted), I tracked down the recipe (who knew vodka was the key to anyone's eternal potential?).  With that effort came, unexpectedly, some very useful method tips (I know, as if a Cook's Illustrated recipe requires more method tips).  

The results were pretty good.  I still feel like it needs something- maybe some brown sugar in the goo, a touch of almond flavoring in the crust, some sliced almonds on the top crust, apples with actual flavor- but really, this is probably the best all around pie I've ever made.  You can find the filling recipe here, the pie crust recipe here, and a hefty dose of pie crust learnin' right here.  

If you actually let the pie rest like you're supposed to, you won't get pie soup, but around here we like our pie piping hot at 11pm served with a side of fresh whipped cream.  But just look at how light and flaky that crust is!  Wowsers.  My cup of baking vanity runneth over. 

magic almond butter middle cookies.

Due to a headache and a mild existential / career path crisis, I can't come up with a catchier title for these cookies. I also can't come up with an actual recipe, which is fine because these don't really mandate one.  I ripped off the concept from a recipe posted at Tasty Kitchen , a variation suggested by a classmate, and the reality of a bunch of sugar cookie dough sitting in my fridge. So maybe "Crowd-sourced Almond Surprise Cookies" would be better.  Anyways, I like these because they aren't too sweet, which is a total relief after eating all those frosted cookies.


Here's what you do:
Mix up a batch of my Perfect Sugar Cookies. Refrigerate dough for a good long time.


In a little dish, mix up equal parts almond butter and powdered sugar. I used about 3 tablespoons of each for mine and came out with enough for 7 cookies.


Roll out the sugar cookie dough.  Roll the almond mixture into little balls and wrap the sugar cookie dough around the ball.  Make sure you say balls a lot.  Bake at 350 degrees until the cookies are a nice golden color- I liked that they got a little crunchy because it made for a nice contrast with the soft inside.  Serve with black coffee while listening to Cat Power before going for a walk to sort yourself out.  

chocolate truffle tart recipe.

I bake pretty regularly, but I can't say that I try out new recipes all that often.  Part of it is pragmatic- fancy desserts aren't as portable or long lasting as say, cookies- and the other part of it is the fear factor.  I get so nervous-  baking failures are just so public.  As a result, my baking vanity is largely tied to my ability to produce endless batches of sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, beer bread, Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake, etc. etc. Nobody seems to mind.

This all changed the other night [drama!], when my roommate presented me with a major challenge- to produce something "French and decadent" that would compliment his Duck Casseulet.  I didn't know what exactly that was, but I was pretty sure I'd stumbled upon recipe gold while searching through one of my favorite food p*rn sites.

Using the Chocolate Truffle Tart recipe from the food blog Tartelette, I had one of the most pleasant baking experiences that I've had in a long time.  Maybe it was spending a quiet, lazy, unrushed, rainy Sunday morning in a clean kitchen- something I find infinitely sublime- but it had a lot to do the quality of the recipe. It calls for relatively few ingredients and offers some really useful method directions.  I have long been a hater of rolling out crusts, but this recipe had me transferring pie crust into the pan with zero cracks and no falling apart. I might have almost cried, crust has been that much of a burden to me.

I was scared of using unsalted butter and could only find unsweetened chocolate, but consensus was that the dessert was not too sweet, and sufficiently French and decadent.  It received rave reviews (and totally cleaned plates) from our dinner guests, and pairs nicely with red wine or coffee.

Chocolate Truffle Tarts [adapted from Tartellete according to how I made the recipe- which is not necessarily the most efficient way]

makes 1 mega tart- could probably serve twelve or more- perfect for crowds who just want a little sliver of dessert

For the chocolate crust: 
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup  unsifted powdered sugar
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

For the chocolate truffle filling:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate [or unsweetened chocolate + 1/2 cup of sugar]
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
4 large eggs

For the chocolate ganache:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate [or unsweetened chocolate + 1/4 cup sugar]
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
pinch of salt

Prepare the crust:
In a mixer, whip together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and pinch of salt and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix briefly. Dump the whole mixture onto a lightly floured board and gather the dough into a smooth ball. Do not work the dough while in the mixer or it will toughen it up. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat oven to 350F and position a rack in the center. Butter a springform pan [parchment would be a good idea here] and set aside.

When the dough is nice and cold, roll it out on a lightly floured board or in between two sheets of plastic [rolling the dough out underneath a sheet of cling film was a revolutionary concept for me]. If the dough tears while you roll or/and transfer into the rings, just patch it with your fingertips. Bake for 10 minutes. Keep the oven at 350F.

[I did these steps while my dough was chilling]:

Prepare the filling:
Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the butter, sugar, and coffee together to a boil over medium. Pour the mixture over the chocolate and leave it undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. Gently whisk until smooth [by hand is much better than mixer for these steps, believe me, Kitchen Aid addicts, I tried both]. Add the eggs, one at a time whisking quickly until the mixture is smooth. Pour on top of crust and bake for 10 minutes. It will look a little jiggly when you take it out, but it will set in the fridge later.
Let cool completely.

Prepare the chocolate ganache:
Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil. Pour it over the chocolate and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Whisk until smooth and incorporate the butter at the same time until the ganache is completely smooth. Resist temptation to store in refrigerator if you are waiting for your dough or the tart to bake.  

Left with about twenty extra minutes of dough chill time after preparing the truffle and ganache, I recommend mixing up the egg whites with some of the leftover heavy cream, scrambling them, and serving them with some of the leftover coffee you made.  Coffee with supplimentary heavy cream, that is.  COTGB is all about full fat dairy.

Spread ganache on top of tart and smooth out with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until ready to eat- be forewarned, it gets pretty solid in the fridge so you may want a substantial warm knife to help with the cutting.  We served ours with vanilla flavored unsweetened homemade whipped cream.  Delish.

cookies.

I'm shrinking. It's been unavoidable- the stress of moving, a sudden drop in beer consumption, the only two proximal grocery stores being Whole Foods and Trader Joe's (goodbye Oreos, Pringles, and Breyers Ice Cream, hello organic vegetables), and of course, all this biking. It's gotten to the point at the present rate that I'm going to get bumped down a smaller jeans size, and since I can't handle the trauma of jeans shopping (and being hungry all the time), I have decided that I'm going to bake more regularly. As I already eat a ton of butter and full fat dairy, cookies feel like my only hope.

Interestingly, the unintentional movetoPhillyandwasteaway weight loss moment coincided with the reappearance of the recipe notebook.

I'd lost it after moving from one of my eleven addresses in five years but had given up on seeing it again. Until I randomly ran into a former housemate and he said,"Hey, this isn't my ex-wife's, could it be yours?" and alas, I was reunited was this messy chunk of dreams from a time in my life that I thought my baking skills were going to be my ticket into eternally wedded bliss and a life of deriving spiritual pleasure from cleaning my windows.

Which is all to say, I have this amazing sugar cookie recipe that I would like to share with you. I got it off of Allrecipes.com a million years ago, but it's been modified a little. These are dense little cookies that, in spite of recalling several unrequited loves and the sorrows of one too many singles dances, take the edge off and, combined with that multi-egg fried egg sandwich I just ate, will keep the pants fitting for just a little while longer.

Perfect Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon (maybe a lil' more) almond extract (vanilla works if that's all you have, but almond will take you to the next dimension) (amaretto would be a dream, but I haven't tried it)

5 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp (or less) salt

1. Cream butter and sugar with your mixer. Add eggs and almond extract.

2. Add in flour, baking powder, and salt gradually. This dough gets pretty dense.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

5. Roll dough out however you like. This may involve cookie cutters or you can be life me and just use an ice cream scoop to make balls. At this point, I recommend baking 10 and freezing the rest so you can have fresh cookies whenever you want.

6. Depending on your oven, bake 6-10 minutes. Cool, and, if you really want him to marry you, frost.

Frosting

When baking 10 cookies at a time, I quarter this recipe.

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 butter

5 tbsp milk

1 tsp of whatever kind of extract you used in the cookies

A drop or two of food coloring (I prefer using red or yellow)

Mix it all up.

miracle meatballs.

Having been on the bike pretty consistently lately, I've had a hard time getting enough to eat (being hungry all the time but not having a taste for anything). I am usually pretty careful about following my cravings because I am convinced it's my body's way of telling me what I need, and lately my body has been like, "WOMAN, give me some MEAT." My muscles want to get bigger and I need the protein... thanks, ODT!

I don't eat a lot of meat usually, and if I do eat it it's chicken or sushi. But the other night, as I watched The Godfather II (I'm working my way through the trilogy...wow) I was overcome by the need for spaghetti and meatballs. I had a bad experience eating ground beef recently (I need to accept that cow flesh is just not something I should attempt at home anymore) so I put some thought into it, consulted allrecipes and this was the result (I fused the recipe with one of the comments and what I had on hand). I've been off of pasta lately too so this was a good way to eat through some of my stash.

Miracle Meatballs

• 1 pound ground pork
  
• 1/2 cup-ish smashed up whole wheat Ritz crackers
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  
• 2 tablespoons-ish whole milk
  
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  
• salt to taste

Mix together. Make into balls (I bet tiny hands would love to help). Bake in 350 degree oven for twenty minutes (wax paper on your pan makes for easy cleanup). Pat yourself on the back and tell yourself what a good cook you are.

Serve with sauce of your choice (I used Newman's Own Marinara Sauce and it tasted just fine) and some Tums-- these rich badboys gave me some serious heartburn.

The nice thing about meatballs is that you could make a bajillion and then freeze them. You could also change up the spices (or not) and serve with gravy for Swedish Meatballs. You could use your food processor to decimate some carrots and celery if you're looking to add some extra veg to your meal. You could combine the pork with any other ground meat (beef, turkey, veal... VEAL!) depending on what you have on hand. You could eat them plain or on a meatball sandwich. Meatballs are really a miracle food-- they take no time to make and offer you all these possibilities.

chicken and dumplings.

The last time I made chicken and dumplings, it was too much of a chaotic disaster to really share the recipe. Well, I was in the mood to eat my feelings so alas I gave 'em another shot. The results were much more in tune with how easy I thought these should be. I bet this would be a great crock pot recipe, great for using up leftover chicken etc. etc.

Adapted from here and here.

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups frozen veg of your choice (I think peas & carrots were the best)
1 onion, sliced up, sauteed with 1 tsp of garlic and some salt. The flavor is great if you let it get really dark. (after mine was done cooking, I stirred in a couple of tablespoons of butter just for fun)

Set all this stuff to the side.

--

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon margarine (melted is easier)
1/2 cup milk
As much parsley as you want

Stir together flour, parsley, baking powder, sugar, and salt in medium size bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk to make a soft dough.

Set aside.

--

1 1/2 cups whole milk (if you have cream or half and half on hand, dump it in! creamy is better!)
1 can chicken stock (I got the low sodium stuff and it was plenty savory)
1 can cream of chicken (or whatever) soup (I bet celery would be awesome)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Stir it all together. Bring it to a boil. Dump in the chicken and vegetables. Drop the dumplings in by the spoonful. Cover and simmer 15 minutes without lifting lid. Serve.

---
Those wanting your chicken a little less cooked could wait to stir it in till the end. Flour could be added to make the soup/gravy thicker, but I think with the residual bits from the dumplings, it's just fine. It really depends on what you want.

out of control brownies.

I'm making my third batch of brownies in as many weeks, which is probably a sign that I should share the recipe. I thought about keeping it a secret because it is really that out-of-control kind of good that you want to be able to manipulate people with. But since that's really not my style, here it is.

I adapted the recipe from here. My way, as always, is better.

Out of Control Brownies

• 1 & 1/2 cups cocoa
  
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups flour (maybe 2 tablespoons more if you don't want 'em super gooey)
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bag of chocolate chips
  

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350ish degrees F (I live at altitude in the Olympic Village with a shitty oven that cooks hot-- you might have to adjust). Line a 9 x 13 pan with wax paper for easy cleanup.

Melt butter in the microwave for a minute; set aside. Add the oil to it. In a mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed for 10 minutes. Blend in butter/oil, cocoa, flour and salt until just mixed. Stir in the whole bag of chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan and prepare for your life to be changed forever.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. (Don't overbake!!!)

These brownies will earn you the love of your friends and the adoration of your peers.

one last hurrah.

I have ordered new running shoes. The last time I bought new running shoes, I was living in student housing somewhere else, so it's been a touch too long. Anyways, in hour of my return to plodding up and down hills and everywhere in between, I made my favorite cake. I wanted cupcakes but I don't have any muffin pans (hint, hint, my birthday is coming). At any rate, I have posted this recipe before but have made some major changes and will never, ever look back. It is more dense, less sweet and infinitely more rich but oh so tasty for a person on the verge of starting a fitness programme.

Perfected Chocolate Cake (adapted from here)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cream
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup strong coffee
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour pan.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, cream, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean or cake is springy to touch. Frost.


Perfected Chocolate Frosting

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 or more cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
splash of strong coffee

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and cream, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional powdered sugar, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting. If you want the frosting to be fluffy, wait to make the frosting until just before serving. It collapses over time but is still awesome.

rip-off vegetable soup.

This only looks unappetizing because you haven't tried it yet, sucka!

For dinner one night during my recent camping trip, I had a can of Progresso vegetable soup. I thought it was pretty tasty and of course returned to civilization with a yearning in my belly for more tasty soup. It might have been easier just to go to the store and grab a can, but it occurred to me that soup would be the perfect way to use up my veggies before I travel this weekend and to make a dent in my stockpile of frozen vegetables before they get freezer burn. Yes, I really do have this problem.

Here is more or less what I came up with, though in retrospect I have eliminated about eighteen steps from the process. What's awesome about soup is that before I trave; tomorrow, I can freeze it and enjoy this soup again and again without having to eat it every day for two weeks. Soup is a miracle solution to the food waste issues of a single person.

Disclaimer: all measurements are complete approximations and should really be read as "to taste." I like my food uber-potent so that comes out here. Tone it down if you like your food bland and lame. See if I care! This soup is all about doing whatever you want anyways.

Rip-Off Vegetable Soup

1/2 box rotini pasta

1 can condensed tomato soup

2 tablespoons italian seasoning

~1 1/2 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock would probably work too) (this will make your soup so savory... seriously don't settle for water)

Whatever veggies you have about the house (I used 1 1/2 roma tomatoes, 4 red potatoes, about 1 cup each frozen corn and peas, and close to a cup of baby carrots) (Green beans would be good too)

salt and pepper to taste (remember: if you want to be a good cook, use some more salt; if you want to be a great cook, use a lot*) (pretty much with every step I just shake some salt on there)

1. Boil pasta. Toss in fresh carrots at the halfway mark.

2. Meanwhile, cook & strain your frozen veggies in a fashion pleasing to you.

3. Cook up soup and chicken stock and cubed tomatoes with italian seasoning in a big pot.
Use the stock instead of the water. Don't worry if it looks runny-- it will cook off a bit and the potatoes will eventually thicken it up. Yay starch!

4. Cook potatoes in microwave and cut into pleasant little chunks. Add potatoes and veggies and noodles to soup. Stir vigorously.

5. Taste your soup. You might add a 1/4 or so of Newman's Own Marinara sauce for more tomato flavor (any kind of tomato sauce would probably work). If it's not quite flavorful enough, add some more stock or salt or italian seasoning or whatever sounds good.

6. Crank your stove to high and boil until your soup looks hot and thick and so yummy.

7. Eat. Enjoy. Freeze your leftovers. Feel self-satisfied because for the cost of one can of soup you made yourself like, four cans. You show that recession who's the boss!


*Even Jesus talked about the merits of salt. Do not underestimate its power!

faux chocolate mountain cookies.

Yesterday I was dying for a chocolate mountain cookie from Caper's. I had found a recipe at nymag.com for a similar cookie, but they were flourless and they called for ingredients I didn't have on hand (good thing because the comments on it eventually emerged as less than complimentary). I took to the interwebs and found what appeared to be a workable substitute. I highly recommend the Hershey's Kitchens recipes-- there are few things I adore more than their "Perfectly Chocolate" cake.* Here's the recipe:**


Faux Chocolate Mountain Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened (I used butter and wouldn't have it any other way)
  
• 1-1/2 cups sugar (a touch of brown might be nice)
  
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• powdered sugar
  

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet (or a pizza stone!).

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set (I went for 8-- used a sturdy metal spatula because cookies were thin and sorta fragile). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack (covered with wax paper). Use a sifter to cover tops in powdered sugar or just dip 'em in a bowl of that goodness. Cool completely. About 3-1/2 dozen cookies. Don't leave them out on the counter because within hours, somebody else will eat them all, and then you won't get any.***

*These things include, but are not limited to: nieces, night bike rides, reunions after long absences, international travel and the self-satisfied feeling of getting a good grade.

**unmodified recipe can be found here. I don't see the need for additional chocolate in these because these cookies are so stinking rich and sweet as is. And nuts in cookies are gross.

***true story. So glad it didn't happen to me!